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Nashoba wins Central Mass. soccer final in overtime

By Sean Sweeney, Correspondent

Updated:
11/11/2012 06:53:43 AM EST

HOLDEN -- With time running low in Saturday's Division 1 girls' soccer final, Nashoba Regional senior Kim Slade nearly had the last word in the top-seeded Chieftains' matchup with third-seeded Algonquin Regional. Instead, her kick was cleared off the line by a Tomahawk defender only seconds before the full-time whistle.

Slade ended up having the last word and the last kick of the match nearly 90 seconds into extra time, as she beat Algonquin keeper Sarah Jackson with a nifty right-footer from 10 yards away to lift the Chieftains to their second straight Central Mass. title with a 1-0 victory at Wachusett Regional.

The win lifts Nashoba to 17-0-4 on the season, with a date against the Western Mass. champion -- which will be decided at Westfield State Monday afternoon -- in the state semifinals at Chieftain Field Wednesday evening. It was the seventh Central Mass. title for Nashoba in girls' soccer.

The state final is slated for Worcester State on Friday night. The loss ended Algonquin's season at 15-3-3.

Slade was all smiles after the match, which saw her have a little breather just before the hour mark. She returned to the pitch after a quick hug from Nashoba athletic director Tania Rich, and the brief break seemed to give her an infusion of newfound confidence and energy over the last 16 minutes of regular time.

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"She knows that If I take her out, I have something to say and we had a conversation to tweak a couple of things," Nashoba head coach Pam Vaughn said, noting that Algonquin's Anne Sullivan had shadowed Slade well in the second half. "She's scored a lot on them, and she's a very good player and I thought that was a good plan on Algonquin's part."

"(Vaughn) told me to relax," Slade said. "I'm not going to lie, I was getting really frantic, and I know that a leader has to be calm and composed. I looked to my other seniors and the captains and the rest of the team. We knew we had this, and I just had to relax."

Yet it seemed that her rocket late in the 80th minute from 15 yards away would dent the onion bag and send the Chieftains into the state semifinals.

Only Algonquin's Alexandra Moy denied her at the far post, sweeping it off the line with a hearty right foot.

But as the match entered the 82nd minute and twilight overtaking Route 122A, Amber Gustafson's cross from the flank caromed off an Algonquin defender and came right to the future Husky near the penalty spot.

Slade booted it home, burying it and touching off the celebration.

"Honestly, I just knew the ball had to get into the back of the net somehow," Slade said.

"I thought Kim did a nice job regardless and got a lot of touches on the ball. Kim gives that kind of effort every day, and I'm so happy for her to finish that," Vaughn said.

Slade had the opportunity to put Nashoba ahead as early as the third minute, as she had Jackson racing off her line. Instead, she rippled the side netting with her shot.

The Chieftains owned the first 10 minutes of the match, applying suitable pressure on Jackson but not converting their four first-half corner kicks. But Algonquin certainly gave enough evidence to suggest that it could score and send the momentum toward Route 20.

"We didn't play the way we normally play," Vaughn said. "Algonquin's a fabulous team. Every time we play them, they're really strong and this is how I expected it to be. I wasn't surprised at all how they came out.

"It was a battle, and I'm glad we got a break."

Just before the hour mark, Nashoba had two solid chances to ripple the back of the net. As the 55th minute expired, Julie Czapkowski fed Gustafson from the flank, with her shot going just wide of the far post.

A minute later, Emily Kuefler ripped a solid shot from distance that blazed over the crossbar following a sequence of the footy pinballing inside the penalty area.

In the start of the 67th minute, Michaela Horne put a bit too much pace behind the ball and missed on a pass to Lucy LeBlond, wasting great build-up for the Tomahawks.

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